Big Jim's Famous Cheese Steaks, Subs, and Cubans

I’ll stop myself from gushing like a crush-fixated schoolgirl right now and just say the Cuban sandwich at is completely out of this world. 

Never have the sloppy contents between two pieces of bread brought so much astonishment, so much joy, so much gluttonous love to my diligent taste buds.   Cradling a sandwich like a newborn is weird, but the power of love can make you do crazy things you know?

 First of all, the sheer volume of this thing is impressive.  The “regular” (in comparison to large) boasts a good, inch-high pile of meat throughout the sandwich.  This isn’t low-grade stuff either; fresh roasted pork, soft and succulent under an ample helping of razor-thin slices of ham and topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a creamy, surprisingly nuanced “secret sub sauce”.

The bread on the Cuban is grilled to golden perfection – crunchy on the outside with soft innards – and provides great bedding for all the heavenly goodness inside.  Taking a bite is truly an exploration of mouth-watering proportions.  The shredded pork – smoky and savory – hits first. It's balanced out by the mild sweetness of the ham.  Toppings provide a nice, cool contrast while the succulent sub sauce, with a flavor I couldn’t figure out for the life of me (maybe why it’s been “secret” for so long) leaves an intriguing after taste. 

I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was one of the best pieces of food in recent memory.  Sadly, the Philly cheese steak, another menu staple at Jim’s, falls to its Cuban brethren on the scale of sheer tastiness.   The philly wasn’t bad by any means, just very…flavor-depleted.  The use of soft, Amoroso rolls (the go-to for any genuine philly) showed a degree of knowledge and authenticity in Jim’s cheesesteak crafting, but the contents left much to be desired. 

A managerie of dry steak, grilled onions, and provolone, the philly was ample-sized, but lacked the above-and-beyond factor that makes one great.  A little grease, sponged up by the soft bread, is key in a good philly and this one was disappointingly lacking.

The side potato salad at Jim was another knockout; well crafted, not drowned in mayonnaise, with ample amount of skin-on potato chunks, and an intriguing spice blend; A very good accompaniment to a big sandwich and cold soda at Jim’s.

Overall, Jim’s is definitely a place worth going to for any culinary explorer in or around Largo.  The Cuban is truly unparalleled and a must-try for any sandwich lover.  An assortment of hot and cold sandwiches and wraps, surely to be piled high, will surely appease the most monstrous of appetites and the cheap authenticity of it all is respectable. 

If a good Cuban is a work of art, we definitely have some Picasso's here at Jim’s.

is located at 9220 Ulmerton Rd. in Largo.  For more information, call them up at (727) 518-6201 or visit www.BigJimsSteaks.com.